1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to jewelry, and more particularly to display of loose ornaments.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, jewelry stores typically maintain a partial stock of finished jewelry (i.e., a jewelry article such as a semi-mount with an ornament mounted or otherwise permanently installed thereon). These jewelry articles with ornaments installed thereon provide an aesthetically finished or complete appearance and create a more satisfying aesthetic ocular or visual appearance to many jewelry buyers.
Disadvantageously, it is not practical for jewelry stores to maintain a complete selection with every jewelry article having every type of ornament mounted thereon, as the ornaments vary in type, shape, size, and quality. Therefore, the average jewelry store normally also maintains a partial selection of loose ornaments and a selection of jewelry articles or semi-mounts styles, with the expectation that the customer will make a combined selection of a semi-mount along with an ornament to be mounted thereon.
A disadvantage of this system is that jewelry buyers are frequently reluctant to make a purchase of a loose ornament and semi-mount without viewing the ornament mounted on the semi-mount. The usual method of attaching the ornament on the jewelry article is to mount the ornament into a precious metal finding that is permanently soldered to the semi-mount into which a seat is cut on the interior of the finding for the ornament to set in. The finding is then bent over an edge of the ornament to securely hold the ornament in place. Both the cutting of the seat and the bending of the metal finding over the ornament is a highly skilled job. The metal finding once deformed or otherwise notched and the bent metal cannot be used again for the mounting of an ornament other than one of substantially the same size and shape as the ornament originally mounted.
There are numerous disadvantages to this conventional process of displaying an ornament. First, the jeweler is typically not sufficiently skilled to mount the ornament personally, and must send the ornament and the jewelry article to a shop having trained craftsmen. Additionally, the process can take from hours to days to be completed and returned. Such a process has a significant cost and risk to both the jeweler and to the jewelry buyer. The jeweler risks the financial loss of not making the sale of the ornament and the semi-mount after paying to have the ornament mounted, and the jewelry buyer risks not being satisfied with the finished piece of jewelry.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for temporarily displaying ornaments in a jewelry article.